2019-07-31 Wed

31st July 1658 is the day when Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb became the sixth Mughal Emperor of India. His reign lasted for almost half a century (from 1658 to 1707) and was marked by several conquests and the vast expansion of the Mughal Empire.

Aurangzeb felt that verses from the Quran should not be stamped on coins. His coins used poetic verses to praise his rule on the obverse and the reverse had a formula that was copied by all succeeding Mughals including the regnal year of the emperor along with the mint place.

The above shown gold Mohur was issued under his reign from Alamgirpur mint. The obverse of a coin is inscribed with Persian legend ‘Sikka Zad Dar Jahan Chu Badr Munir Shah Aurangzeb Alamgir’. The reverse of the coin is read as ‘Zarb Alamgirpur Sanah 12 Julus Mainamat Manus’.

Image Source: Classical Numismatic Gallery